China grants $500,000 for provision of Humanitarian Air Services

On January 22, 2010, China granted $500,000 for the provision of Humanitarian Air Services in response to the earthquake in Haiti.

The purpose of the grant is to provide aircraft support to enable the humanitarian community to implement emergency relief activities into areas inaccessible by surface means and to transport humanitarian workers and relief cargo such as medical supplies, shelter, high energy foods, and ICT equipment.

It will also provide capacity for timely assessments and evacuations. The UN World Food Program helped with project implementation.

The total amount committed and disbursed to the project was $18,823,513, with funding from China and multiple other countries and organizations.

Co-financiers included the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, the European Community Humanitarian Aid Office (now Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations), the UN World Food Program, Canada's Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Agency (now Global Affairs Canada), and the governments of Switzerland, Spain, the United States, Denmark, Japan, Sweden, and the UK.